Virtual reality driver training and assessment system

Abstract

A virtual reality (VR) based driving simulation system and method provides hazard perception training and testing. Some embodiments use a personal computing device (e.g., smartphone), a head-mounted VR headset, and a Bluetooth-connected push button keypad or other user input device. An immersive, 3D simulator enables users to experience and learn from hazardous scenarios without risking injury. Performance by a user in perceiving a hazard is compiled as a metric in a user profile stored on a server, and continued training and testing can be conducted with updated scenarios supplied by the server in accordance with the metric associated with a user.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A virtual reality (VR) driving simulator for presenting simulated hazard events to a user, comprising:
 a VR headset mountable to a head of the user and having a display system for presenting respective left and right images to left and right eyes of the user; 
 a simulation controller coupled to the display system generating 3D animations simulating a driving sequence; and 
 a user input device wirelessly coupled to the simulation controller for generating at least one command signal corresponding to a driving action in response to the 3D animations; 
 wherein the 3D animations generated by the simulation controller include a path progression sequence depicting a vehicle drive cycle including driver actions defined by the command signal; 
 wherein the 3D animations generated by the simulation controller include a hazard scene introduced into the path progression sequence at a predetermined moment representing a safety risk; 
 wherein the simulation controller is configured to receive a user reaction input representative of a reaction of the user to the hazard scene; 
 wherein the simulation controller compares the user reaction input to predetermined performance levels; 
 wherein the simulation controller has a training mode wherein when the user reaction input is below a selected one of the performance levels then the simulation controller generates an instruction phase highlighting a source of the safety risk; and 
 wherein the simulation controller has a testing mode wherein the instruction phase is not included. 
 
     
     
       2. The driving simulator of  claim 1  wherein the hazard scene comprises a virtual object with a relative location and trajectory corresponding to a potential collision in the depicted vehicle drive cycle. 
     
     
       3. The driving simulator of  claim 2  wherein the user reaction input indicates a time period from the predetermined moment until a physical movement by the user prompted by the virtual object. 
     
     
       4. The driving simulator of  claim 3  further comprising a motion sensor and wherein the user reaction input comprises a motion signal output from the motion sensor in response to the head of the user turning to bring the virtual object to a center of a field of vision of the user or an eye movement of the user to bring the virtual object to the center of the field of vision. 
     
     
       5. The driving simulator of  claim 3  wherein the user reaction input comprises a command signal generated by the user input device corresponding to a predetermined driving action that evades the virtual object. 
     
     
       6. The driving simulator of  claim 5  wherein the command signal generated by the user input device corresponding to the predetermined driving action that evades the virtual object is comprised of a speed-reduction command signal. 
     
     
       7. The driving simulator of  claim 6  wherein the user reaction input further comprises a signal representing a user gesture indicating the virtual object. 
     
     
       8. The driving simulator of  claim 7  further comprising a motion sensor providing motion signals to the simulation controller and disposed in the VR headset for detecting movements of the head of the user;
 wherein the signal representing the user gesture indicating the virtual object is a motion signal from the motion sensor in response to the head of the user turning to bring the virtual object to a center of a field of vision of the user. 
 
     
     
       9. The driving simulator of  claim 7  wherein the user input device includes a button pad providing a manual pointing function, and wherein the user gesture indicating the virtual object is comprised of manually pointing to an apparent position of the virtual object. 
     
     
       10. The driving simulator of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a central server in wireless communication with the simulation controller, wherein the central server stores a user profile including data related to the user reaction input during the testing mode. 
 
     
     
       11. The driving simulator of  claim 10  wherein the central server stores a plurality of path progression sequences and hazard scenes which are selectably transmitted to the simulation controller based on how the user reaction input compares with the predetermined performance levels. 
     
     
       12. The driving simulator of  claim 1  wherein the simulation controller is comprised of a personal mobile device, wherein the VR headset includes a compartment configured to receive the mobile device, and wherein the display system is comprised of a display screen of the mobile device and a lens system of the VR headset.